


On a Roll

by Cam719



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Post Bartlett Administration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-04-12
Updated: 2007-04-12
Packaged: 2019-05-15 10:45:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14789045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cam719/pseuds/Cam719
Summary: The First Easter in the Santos White House brings tension to Josh and Donna's relationship.





	On a Roll

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

  
Author's notes: A Santos administration fic with a teeny tiny bit of angst; mostly humor  


* * *

Title: On a Roll

Category: Humor

Time Period: First year of the Santos Administration

Rating: Everybody

Author: Cathy

Disclaimers: Don't own them, make nothing from   
them, but I am high on sugar right now.

 

7 DAYS BEFORE EASTER

 

"You have to come, Josh, it's a very serious White   
House tradition." Donna insisted.

 

"Which I managed to elude the entire time I worked   
for President Bartlet as Deputy Chief of Staff. Did you   
honestly think I would be lining up for an egg now   
that I'm Chief of Staff?" Josh argued.

 

"This has nothing to do with your position and   
everything to do with mine. I planned this event from   
start to finish, and it would mean a lot to me if you   
were there to experience it with me." Donna pouted,   
but just a little bit; no need to bring out the big guns   
yet.

 

"It's a PR event…for kids and their doting parents. I'm  
sure you'll do fine." Josh turned back to the file on   
his desk.

Donna crossed her arms and tapped her foot.

 

"I'm sorry was there something else?" he asked with   
a smirk.

 

"No, I'm sure you can be an ass all by yourself in   
here." Donna exited as Lou entered.

 

"Whoa, what was that all about?" Lou asked Josh.

 

"You really want to know?" Josh returned.

 

"Not really, no. Simons has left the reservation. Sam   
is on it but I thought you'd want to know."

 

"The man is going to be the bane of our existence   
through this whole term, isn't he?" Josh ran his   
hands over his face.

 

"Yeah, he really wanted that cabinet position, but no,   
you couldn't give it to him and now our legislative   
agenda had been hijacked. Couldn't you make him   
Ambassador to something?" Lou considered.

 

"I can't make him Ambassador to anything. Let Sam   
have a run at him, if he runs into a wall, tell him to let   
me know. And Lou?" he stops her as she's about to   
leave. "Nice job on the speech to labor yesterday.   
The whole event ran like a Swiss watch."

 

"Thanks." Lou responded with a nod of her head, but   
as she turned the corner out of his office he saw her   
fist pump in the air and a quiet "yes!" came from the   
hall. He really did work with a bunch of screwballs.

 

5 DAYS BEFORE EASTER

 

"Carol!" Josh hollered for his executive assistant.   
"Can you get me the file on the clean air initiative for   
the conference call? What time does it start?"

 

"You have 2 hours to review it; they'll be calling   
through at 5." Carol told him as she handed him the   
file.

 

"Are you sure? I thought it was earlier than that?"   
Josh asked confused.

 

"It was but there was a conflict for two people on the   
call, so I pushed it back."

 

"That's not right. I have a thing with Donna at 5:30."   
Josh checked the calendar on his desk. "A cocktail   
reception for `Families for Universal Health Care' in   
the East room at 5:30." Josh smiled at his ability to   
remember the date and time, but when he looked up   
Carol was looking away. "What?"

 

"Donna cancelled." She said quietly.

 

"She cancelled the event? There were like 400   
people coming!" Josh noted.

 

"No, she cancelled your date. She gave me a very   
specific message." Carol ran back to her desk and   
read it to him verbatim. "Tell Josh I'm cancelling our   
date; it is just an East Wing event catering to kids   
and their doting parents." Carol grimaced as  
she finished it.

 

"Carol, will you call the First Lady's Chief of Staff and   
tell her on my way over?" Josh got up determinedly.

 

"I don't know if her schedule is clear." Carol   
protested.

 

"I'll clear her schedule, Carol, just tell her I'm on my  
way." He grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair   
and strode purposefully toward the East Wing. A   
couple different staffers tried to  
intercept him, but the patented Lyman glare had   
them all backing away.

By the time he'd arrived at Donna's office he'd   
worked up a full head of steam. He passed Donna's   
assistant without a word and banged the door open.   
Donna didn't even look up from the group of  
people she was meeting with, but continued to   
speak as if there had been no interruption at all.

 

"…but attendance has varied between 25 and 35   
thousand over the past ten years, so what do we   
have in terms of contingencies?" she  
asked one of her staff who just gaped at Josh.   
"Greg, I asked you what we have in terms of   
contingencies. Ignore the rude man in my  
doorway."

 

"The rude man in your doorway is the White House   
Chief of Staff, and I need the room…now." Josh   
asserted and got into a war of wills  
with Donna. While Donna held his gaze, her staff   
quickly got up and out of the line of fire.

 

"Don't you ever come into my office and throw your   
weight around like that again. You undermine my   
authority. You can do that all you  
want in the West Wing, but don't ever do that in the   
East Wing again." Donna stood up and crossed her   
arms.

 

"Then don't relay personal messages through my   
professional staff. Carol felt awkward as hell reading   
your message to me and I felt-"

 

"Embarrassed? Belittled?" Donna offered. "Strangely   
enough that's exactly how I feel every time you put   
down the job I do here or I have to explain to   
someone how you are far too important to be  
bothered with the events I do."

 

"Donna, that is not –"

 

"That is exactly what you do, Josh. I know you're an   
important  
man; the entire world knows you're an important   
man. Does putting down the job I do make you feel   
more important?"

 

That one simple sentence took all the wind out of   
Josh's sails. He stopped and took a deep breath,   
wanting to say this just right. He'd  
already messed up pretty badly he realized.

 

"Donna, nothing could be more untrue. There is no   
one in this building, East or West Wing, who has a   
better appreciation for the job you do; whatever it   
is." He uncrossed her arms so he could take her  
hand. "When we first met, you told me that I might   
find you valuable. There has never been a greater   
understatement. Personally, professionally, I am   
where I am and who I am today because of you.  
I'm sorry I made you feel belittled." He kissed her   
hand.

 

"It makes it awfully hard to stay pissed at you when   
you say things like that you know." Her mouth   
quirked. "I'm probably going to have to replace Greg   
after the coronary you gave him."

 

"Lose him; the guy obviously can't function under   
pressure." He joked. "You finish your meeting. Since   
my afternoon got reshuffled I now have a conference   
call scheduled for 5, so I may be a little late to the   
thing, but I will get there, okay?"

 

"Okay." She walked him to the door, and before he   
could open it, she pushed hum against it and kissed   
him senseless. "See you at the thing." She told him   
as she opened the door and pushed him out.

 

3 DAYS BEFORE EASTER AT THE HOME OF JOSHUA   
LYMAN

 

"I'm just saying that a bunny in a tux is a disturbing   
image and it might scare the children. It's your call."   
Josh teased his girlfriend.

 

"It's a little late for that warning Joshua. There are   
35,000 wooden eggs all embossed with the bunny tux   
picture and `Happy Easter from the White House' in   
my office awaiting distribution." Donna said drolly.

 

"It's great to know this is where our tax dollars go."   
Josh started in but then noticed the look on Donna's   
face. "I'm doing it again?"

 

"You're doing it again. This is a very big deal, Josh.   
This is one of the longest standing traditions at the   
White House. It began in 1878 and it is one of the   
most anticipated events in the District."

 

"Oh please, tell me more." Josh said sarcastically.

 

"If you insist." Donna told him tongue in cheek and   
sat next to him on the couch. "The Easter egg roll   
tradition started with real eggs, progressed to   
plastic eggs, and then to its' latest  
incarnation, the wooden egg." Josh literally groaned   
and Donna kissed his neck. "Although the First   
Family is the official host of the event, it's been   
hosted by cabinet members, Vice-Presidents and  
their wives and even First Family pets." She told him   
as her lips moved down to the v formed from his   
open shirt. He leaned back and pulled her on top of   
him.

 

"I think I may have underestimated the appeal of the   
Easter egg roll." He murmured as he returned her   
kisses.

 

"It has only been cancelled during World Wars and   
the occasional rainy days." She informed him as she   
unbuttoned his shirt and pulled hers over her head.   
"Otherwise every Monday morning following Easter  
the tradition has rolled on."

 

"That's perseverance." He agreed as he too, was rid   
of his shirt. "Although I'm beginning to worry that talk   
of the Easter Egg Roll may get me sexual aroused at   
inappropriate times; like in the sit room-" he   
suddenly stopped and tried to sit up. "Wait a  
second, did you say Monday morning?"

 

"Josh, you've worked in the White House for 8 years.   
You're telling me you've never noticed that the   
Easter Egg Roll occurred every Monday after   
Easter?" Donna cocked her head at him.

 

"No?" Josh replied. "Monday is a work day Donna; a   
long, serious work day. I mean going on Sunday was   
one thing, but Monday…" Josh protested.

 

Donna pushed him back into the sofa cushions.   
"Children collect the wooden eggs as well as eggs   
that are specially marked that they can turn  
in for prizes and candy." Donna unbuckles his belt   
and pulls it from his slacks.

 

"Well…Candy and prizes…I'm sure Carol can clear an   
hour or two…" and that was the last word spoken for   
some time.

 

EASTER MONDAY: THE WHITE HOUSE LAWN

 

Helen Santos had just finished her remarks   
welcoming everyone to the White House for the   
Easter Egg Roll when Josh rushed up to Donna's  
side.

 

"I'm here, I'm here. They didn't start yet, did  
they?' Josh asked all out of breath.

 

"No, the First Lady just finished her welcome   
speech." Donna kissed his cheek; very happy that   
he'd kept his promise. It wasn't that Josh broke his   
word, but the promise had been made under  
a form of duress.

 

"Gorgeous weather; no calling it on a count of rain   
today." He noted.

 

"I wasn't exactly responsible for the weather,   
Joshua." She laughed.

 

"If anyone could make the sunshine from sheer force   
of will, it would be you." He smiled at her until   
several children ran screaming between them   
anxious to be the first to find eggs.

 

"There should be traffic signs or something.   
Someone's going to get killed." They were awfully   
fast for such little creatures. It wasn't long before   
children were running back to their parents to  
show off what they'd found. There was a table set up   
along the South lawn where they could redeem   
those special eggs for prizes handed out by  
the First Lady and Donna kept an eye on the table to   
make sure everything ran smoothly.

 

She and Josh wandered through the yard watching   
the children and making comments about the   
parents. After about 30 minutes one of the staff came  
running toward Donna.

 

"Donna, one of the children has brought an egg to   
the redemption table with a strange note on it. Will   
you come take a look?" Donna nodded and headed   
to the table with Josh in tow. When they got there, a  
little girl in pig tails and a gingham dress held her   
prize in both hands and only reluctantly agreed to   
hand it over to Donna.

 

The message on the egg read: Bring this egg to   
Donna Moss to receive your prize.

 

Donna was flummoxed. She had never seen this egg   
before. It was wooden, but it didn't have the   
embossing that the eggs she ordered for the  
White House all had on them. On the side she   
noticed a tiny clasp and after working at it a moment,   
managed to open the egg and inside was a  
diamond ring. The words `Marry me' were written   
inside the upper half of the egg. Her eyes shot to   
Joshua who was grinning at her.

 

"Is that my prize?" the little girl asked.

 

"No, I hope that's my prize," Josh answered, "but I do   
have one for you." He pulled out another egg from   
his pocket and offered it to the girl. She twisted it   
open to find candy and a plastic ring  
inside.

 

"Thanks!" she smiled and ran off to find her family.

 

"Joshua…I don't know what to say." Donna blinked   
back tears.

 

"Say yes." He encouraged. "Tell me you'll marry me."

 

"Yes, I'll marry you." She kissed him on the South   
Lawn for all to see. "You know, you took a bit of a   
risk putting a diamond ring in a wooden egg on the   
White House lawn."

 

"Nah, the kid's a ringer." He laughed at his own pun.

 

"Excuse me?" Donna didn't get it.

 

"That was Eric Baker's Granddaughter. I passed it to   
her on the way over to you when I got here." Josh   
said smugly. Donna looked in the direction the young   
girl had gone and saw Vice-President Baker  
standing next to her smiling and waving at them.

 

"Joshua Lyman, you devil. Just when did this idea   
occur to you?" she inquired.

 

"After Valentine's Day. The President and I were   
discussing the opportune time to propose and he-"

 

"You discussed this with President of the United   
States!" Donna turned red.

 

"Well you both insist I run with him 3 times a week   
and he refuses to talk business when we run, so   
yeah…we talk about you and the First Lady   
and…does it really matter?"

 

"And you've been planning this since Valentine's?"   
Josh sensed a trap in here somewhere, but couldn't   
figure out where yet.

 

"Yeah? I had to special order the egg, they don't just   
come like that you know." he insisted.

 

"So all the time you were giving me grief about this   
event…when you pretended you didn't even know   
the day it occurred…?"

`Ah, there it is' he thought `the trap'; she was pissed  
because he tricked her.

 

"I'd just like you to keep in mind how thoughtful and   
romantic my proposal was and that it wouldn't have   
been either if I hadn't pretended ignorance and   
disdain for your event."

 

"So you lied to me for my own good?" she asked, but   
Josh could hear the smile in her voice so he figured   
he was in the clear.

 

"Damn, woman, the way you spin. We've got to find   
you an office to run for; maybe out of Connecticut."   
He mused as he put his arm around her and walked   
her back toward the building.

 

"We'd have to establish residency there first." She   
reminded him.

 

"All in good time, Donnatella. All in good time." he   
kissed her cheek as they entered the building. "We   
have the rest of our lives."

 

The End.


End file.
